50 Years of Meteorological Satellite Experiments – The NASA Perspective

Franco Einaudi

November 2, 2009

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A Proud History

• TIROS I• Launched

April 1, 1960

• The first picture from space. Here is where NASA began its mission of observing the Earth’s weather.

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• On April first 1960 the USA launched its first meteorological satellite, TIROS 1.

• Its importance did not go unnoticed to the operational community and to the scientific community.

• The event was also of profound political importance. • President Kennedy in an address at the UN in 1961 called on the

countries of the world to exploit this new tool jointly.

• The battle for resources:• Scientists recognized the need for a major research effort for an

effective use of these new observations.• They recognized that a battle for resources was inevitable• They also recognized the important role that our science can play

and the responsibility we have to provide reliable information to the policy makers

50 Year Ago…

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• Battle for resources is on-going.

• Our responsibility to provide reliable information to policy makers remains.

• We have a stronger realization of the potential global economic impact of our science.

• In general, we have an even stronger realization that our problems and challenges are global.

• The role of satellites is to provide the global view of the Earth System.

Half a Century Later…

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Images from TIROS 1, the First Successful Weather Satellite

TIROS = Television and Infrared Observation Satellite

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Images from TIROS 1, the First Successful Weather Satellite

TIROS = Television and Infrared Observation Satellite

TIROS 1 image of a mid-latitude cyclone, July 1961

MODIS true-colorHurricane Rickoff of Baja CA 18 Oct 2009

MODIS true-colorHurricane Rickoff of Baja CA 18 Oct 2009

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Human induced changes are small: performance requirements are large

• CO2

- Precision: 1ppmv- Duration: 2-3 years

• Total O3

- Trend: 1% per decade- Duration: Continuous

• Ice Sheets and Sea Ice- Ice Sheets Elevation: 1 cm/year on the scale of 100km- Sea ice thickness: 20 cm- Duration: 3-5 years

Global Climate Change Observing System (GCOS) Reference Upper Air Network (GRUAN)

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Earth’s Energy Balance

Ways the energy balance of the planet can change:• Changes the incoming solar radiation

• Changes in the orbit parameters• Changes in the solar input

• Changes in the fraction of solar radiation that is reflected• Cloud cover• Aerosols• Land cover

• Changes in long-wave energy radiated back to space• Greenhouse gases concentration

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NASA Operating Research Missions

New mission

1st time in Senior Review

Missions in DevelopmentMission Name

Launch Date Mission Description

Aquarius May 2010 To collect sea surface salinity (SSS) data over the global oceans

Glory Oct. 2010 Aerosols measurements; Total Solar Irradiance

Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM)

Dec. 2012 To provide continuity for land use/land cover change

Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM)

July 2013 Global Water Cycle precipitation measurements

NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP)

2013 To provide continuity in measurements between EOS and NPOESS programs and pre-operational risk reduction

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES)

To provide a constant vigil for the atmospheric “triggers” for severe weather conditions

Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES)

To provide measurement of various parameters for operational use

Freilich

Decadal Survey Missions Next Generation

Plus: Venture Class

Near-term Decadal Survey Missions (2010-2013)

Mission Name Mission Description Concept InstrumentsICESat-II Ice sheet height changes for climate

change diagnosisLaser altimeter

SMAP SMAP soil moisture and freeze/thaw for weather and water cycle processes

L-band radarL-band radiometer

DESDynI Surface and ice sheet deformation for understanding natural hazards and climate; vegetation structure for ecosystem health

L-band InSARLaser altimeter

CLARREO (NASA portion)

Solar radiation; spectrally resolved forcing and response of the climate system

Absolute, spectrally resolved interferometer

Mid-term Decadal Survey Missions(2013-2016)

Mission Name Mission Description Concept InstrumentsACE Aerosol and cloud profiles for climate and

water cycle; ocean color for open ocean biogeochemistry

Backscatter lidarMultiangle polarimeterDoppler radar

ASCENDS Day/night, all-latitude, all-season CO2 column integrals for climate emissions

Multifrequency laser

GEOCAPE Atmospheric gas columns for air quality forecasts; ocean color for coastal ecosystem health and climate emissions

Hyperspectral spectrometer

HyspIRI Land surface composition for agriculture and mineral characterization; vegetation types for ecosystem health

Hyperspectral spectrometer

SWOT Ocean, lake, and river water levels for ocean and inland water dynamics

Ka-band wide swath radarC-band radar

Long-term Decadal Survey Missions(2016-2020)

Mission Name Mission Description Concept Instruments3D-Winds (Demo) Tropospheric winds for weather

forecasting and pollution transportDoppler lidar

GRACE-II High temporal resolution gravity fields for tracking large scale water movement

Microwave or laser ranging system

LIST Land surface topography for landslide hazards and water runoff

Laser altimeter

GACM Ozone and related gases for intercontinental air quality and stratospheric ozone layer prediction

UV spectrometerIR spectrometerMicrowave limb sounder

SCLP Snow accumulation for fresh water availability

Ku and X-band radarsK and Ka-band radiometers

PATH High frequency, all-weather temperature and humidity soundings for weather and forecasting and SST

MW array spectrometer